That Wasn’t Real Communism
September 4, 2023
By NZB3
Communists keep defending their faith by saying “that wasn’t real Communism.” Even preemptively, sometimes.
Always, they think their own Communism is real and true and will work no matter how many times they are confronted by the deadly and failed attempts in the past.
I understand now that it’s their Hobbesian view of human nature that would have to change in order for them to conclude otherwise. They do not accept that man can live free or else the population will turn on each other like bad kids at school when their teacher is away. Only a Sovereign who has fitted their subjects with electro-shock collars to zap them into good behavior can make ‘civilisation’.
The Communist doesn’t discuss that weak foundation but proceeds merrily on to say what brand of collar fits best, how many volts, what benevolent zappings look like, who they’d like to zap and for what,…..it’s a revenge fantasy in which they feel alive and energetic.
The endorphins flow and animate a Communist’s face and spine out of their usual resting state of being bitter and downcast. They delight in listing off the crimes of the people who have hurt them in life. Their Original Pain. Old wounds. But, in the guise of reforming the world. The hurt they carry can now be expressed because everyone, including themselves, think they’re talking about politics and economics. Really they’re talking about a kid at school who bullied them and what their New Empire is going to do to people like that! Parents who don’t take their kids to the park: They’ll get zapped! Bad siblings who don’t share but hoard their wealth: The’ll get zapped!
“The Sovereign Is Judge Of What Is Necessary For The Peace And Defence Of His Subjects”
“The Right of making Rules, whereby the Subject may every man know what is so his owne, as no other Subject can without injustice take it from him…To Him Also Belongeth The Right Of All Judicature And Decision Of Controversies”
“…the Soveraign is committed the Power of Rewarding with riches, or honour; and of Punishing with corporall, or pecuniary punishment, or with ignominy every Subject according to the Lawe ” – Leviathan, Hobbes (1651)
Like Hobbes, the Communist’s view of human nature is that order and disputes must be taken care of by one high power with his finger on the shock-collars of every neck. He’ll make the rules of conduct for all to follow and enforce them by zaps. Communists love to talk about what the punishments/zaps should be and under what circumstances they will be administered. Love to talk about the order they think will result from this sovereignty. Communists don’t tend to think as explicitly as Hobbes that this arrangement will lead to one ruler over all others with his finger on the trigger but history demonstrates the philosopher was right; Always comes the Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao,…
If there is enough resentment in a given generation then they will be receptive to Communism and form up into a Party with some clout. However, their big downfall is bickering and in-fighting about what real Communism is. Having different hurts and resentment fantasies to play out produces bitter rivals among the Commies. They turn on each other viciously over what is on the surface political and principled differences. In reality, the existence of another person close to you who denies a Commie’s pain isn’t just someone with mistaken priorities but an existential threat and a good place to store Stalin’s ice pick.
There is another way to live and that’s freedom. This is based on something other than Thomas Hobbes’ view of human nature. It’s the idea that we do not behave well at table or in the school room or in life because of punishment. Or that without a Boss we would descent into Mad Max dystopia. People who think otherwise are telling your about their childhoods and the company they consider normal to them. I’ve known Christians who say it’s only Jesus who keeps them from rape and murder. But Anyone who doesn’t kill others for fear of being locked up should themselves be locked up! This is someone whose locus of personal-responsibility is out-sourced to an Alpha such as a god or king. Love is the better way to live. Secure Attachment to each other means we pass the salt and eat food in a civilised way because we value it rather than that we fear being zapped for not following some arbitrary rule. A Free Society relies on Anarkiwi folk who have an internal culture of secure attachment. While we are populated by a Hobbesian public with Insecure Attachment and low Social Capital we cannot have a free society.
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